* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret--she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they've helped those in need on the sly. They've always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they've always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke's ability? He's always right.

And he can't do anything about it.

Series:
Intangible
Indomitable (novella)
Imaginable

My two-bits:
Wonderful start to this series involving other worldly characters. I liked the world building in this story. The story starts out with a pair of extraordinary teens with special powers. But as the story continues their predicament and people they know expands into an interesting world outside their norm.

A varied mix of characters are presented that keep you wondering and interested.

There is a good blend of action, romance and paranormal activity.

And, although this is part of a series, it works as a standalone story as well.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

The Rhode Island Library Association is pleased to present our first ever Tattooed Librarians of the Ocean State 2014 calendar. Libraries are unique as they simultaneously foster the preservation of histories and traditions, while fighting censorship and fostering cutting-edge learning environments. Likewise, tattoos can also represent the preservation of history and resistance of the norm. The twelve librarians and library workers featured in this calendar represent just a few of the many working professionals who are proud of their career, their ink, and the stories they tell. --per The Rhode Island Library Association

* easter egg giveaways: are surprise giveaways embedded in posts that sometimes have an egg image at the bottom or simply hints at a giveaway for comments participation throughout the event or just because i'm feeling generous

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret--she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they've helped those in need on the sly. They've always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they've always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke's ability? He's always right.

I never really wanted to write about Death. When I started writing this novel, I wasn’t sure about a lot of things. The setting, the story, the characters were all unclear. I just knew one thing: I wanted a villain. Someone that was cruel and ruthless, but could execute these traits with supreme elegance. An antagonist that was aware of the damage she did, but still managed to enjoy it. A character that was now corrupt and distorted, but showed traces and shades of the person she used to be. A psychopath not born, but made. Forged.

The figure of Death as a person served this profile perfectly. It gave my villainess a state of being that required sacrifice in exchange for power. It raises the question of how she got there and then there are allusions throughout the novel that indicate just how much she lost in the way. Her condition allowed me to explore subjects like immortality and isolation and how they affect a person’s psyche. How they influence principles and morality and shape them into something that allows them to stay sane, but that ultimately clashes with what we know as right or wrong.

When starting to create Death’s relationship with Adam, I drew inspiration from the T.V series Californication. The show is about a successful writer that constantly wrecks his personal life and hurts those around him because he is unable to refrain from having destructive relationships with beautiful women. He knows when a woman is a bad idea, but he can’t help finding her incredibly attractive, or tragically compelling, and going for her, even when terrible consequences ensue. Based on this same principle, Adam turns a blind eye to Eve’s negative traits. He chooses to ignore the fact that she’s volatile and spoiled, because she is also gorgeous and charming. Even when Adam knows that Eve has lied to him and that she is responsible for the grave things that are going to happen to him, he still likes flirting with her. She’s going to kill me tomorrow, but she looks so adorable when she blushes. He is not incapable of cutting off this relationship: he is simply unwilling. Making out with Death is too much of a temptation for Adam to say no, even when that kiss might certainly be his last.

A more general inspiration for my novel was this phrase: “Write the kind of book you’d like to read.” I don’t know who said it or where I even first saw it. No joke, I think it was a tweet, but it is the best advice I have ever received as a writer. When I wrote this novel, I thought only of myself. I like books with dark humor, witty dialogues and romance. I like stories with sex, plot twists and backstories, so I wrote one with all these elements, to the best of my talent. Because I write for myself, I weave my inner most complexes and memories and fantasies into the narrative. Since they are something I share with lots of people my age, it makes my writing, not extraordinary or unusual, but honest and relatable. I did not write this novel for anyone out there, but I hope the people that read it enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Jamie Baker, the only girl in the world with superpowers, has now accepted who she is and learned to control her power. Not to mention she has the best boyfriend on the planet. Life is finally looking good. But the day she witnesses an accident and decides not to save the guy out of fear of being exposed, she realizes that simply being Jamie Baker isn't enough.

After seeing Jamie so wrecked with guilt, the ever-helpful Ryan Miller decides it's time to make all of his fantasies about turning his girlfriend into an honest-to-goodness superhero become a reality.

Of course, coming up with a decent Super Name and fending off all of Ryan's attempts to get her into spandex aren't the only problems Jamie faces. The more her alter ego starts to make headlines, the harder it becomes for Jamie to hide her extracurricular activities from her best friend, the government, radical scientists, and the mysterious new guy who is determined to steal her from her boyfriend.

I jumped in with book 2 in this series and which works out fine. But now, I need to backtrack and read book 1 as I fell in love with the characters.

In this book the main character starts to come into her own in terms of the supernatural abilities she first discovered in herself in book 1. Her boyfriend plays the loyal love interest and right-hand man.

Filled with super powers and the need to do good for others, this superhero gal must contend with other opposing forces that affect her private life as well. Ahhh, thus the life of being a young superhero.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

First of all, thank you very much, Velvet, for letting me blab away on your blog about my YA trilogy.

The Tex, The Witch Boy series has been percolating in my mind for, well, years. Since high school (and I ain’t gonna’ tell you how long ago that was). Basically I’m Tex. Um… except for I’m not a witch nor was I instrumental in uncovering three killers (an unlucky and dangerous high school, that Clearwell High). But I share many traits with my main character, Tex. Like him, I was awkward, unsure of myself, lacking self-confidence and never knowing when to kick my inner censor on (something I still struggle with). Of course, I have to say, I wasn’t as brave as Tex, either. I didn’t stand up to school bullies, wish I would’ve. Actually, I did try once…didn’t work out so well for me. But that’s beside the point. Speaking of which, I’ve had a few readers suggest the incidents of bullying recounted in the first book seem over-the-top. Until they read the afterword. Trust me; every bullying incident either happened to me or a friend of mine. To this day, I still have a friend who doesn’t have full usage of several of his fingers. So…the secret origin of Tex, The Witch Boy? Exorcising my high school demons.

The Tex, The Witch Boy trilogy books are all YA paranormal, murder mystery, comedic romantic thrillers. And they all deal with social issues today’s teens face. It’s a lot of gist for the writer’s cavern, too. Tex, The Witch Boy (the first in the series and the print copy should be out in December) tackles high school bullying. Tex and The Gangs Of Suburbia deals with identity and senseless, random, horrifying high school violence. It’s based on a true story that happened at my old alma mater a couple years ago. It also introduces fan-favorite character, Elspeth. Until y’all read the books, I’d prefer to keep her shrouded in mystery. As it is, she threatened to hijack the entire series, so much so that she kicked and demanded her own spin-off tale. Since I’m afraid of her, I wrote it and it’s out in Summer, 2014. The third, and last, Tex book is Tex and The God Squad, also out this December. It’s my most ambitious of the trilogy in terms of issues and expansive ”set-pieces.” Topics include teen suicide, religion and gay and lesbian issues. Whew.

Okay, so we have a teen boy witch. I hear some of you asking, “But, Stuart, shouldn’t he be considered a warlock?” Nope. I did my research, even talked to a few bonafide witches. “Witch” is indeed the proper term. Why a witch, I hear you asking once again (man, you’re an inquisitive lot!)? Well, I thought the juxtaposition of having an already awkward teen boy discover he’s a witch too intriguing to ignore. Teens already face enough indecision about life; being a witch is the dramatic icing on the cake. (Truth time…at first I also considered having him be gay, but ultimately thought that was just stacking the book too much). And being a witch opened up all sorts of exciting story possibilities.

The uniting theme of the books is about high school friendships forged in the face of adversity, teens trying to carve out their existence in an overwhelming world. High school rocked my world a lot; I haven’t forgotten. In the books, I hope to touch on uncomfortable situations, missteps (and my protagonist makes a lot of them), every awful and awkward encounter that I remember like it was yesterday. I use humor as a cover for these instances, but underneath every clown’s mask lies a sad truth, I think.

I also wanted to create a series that has a male protagonist, books boys can enjoy as well as females. That’s where I started, at least. But it’s the female characters who take charge and kick butt. There’s Olivia, Tex’s friend (possibly girl-friend?), a radical who’s upset she’s not considered a suspect in the current murder investigation, thinks it’s sexist. I told you about Elspeth, whose faux-hawk is nearly as tall as her bravery and cynicism. Don’t forget Mickey, the unusual witch mentor, a hand-slapping, fried chicken-extorting (it’s complicated) elderly woman who could take down any of these kids with her ice-cold glare. That’s just the tip of the character iceberg in the world of Tex, The Witch Boy.

I tried to write the kinds of books I wished were around when I was in high school. They’re books that are fun, thrilling, surprising, and carry a strong message of hope. I’d love nothing more than to reach teens today, tell them they’re not alone, there’s nothing wrong with them. And stay strong.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Nora Colburn was perfectly content in life. A junior in high school, she had good friends, a great family, and did well in school. Nothing particularly exciting ever happened where she lived, and everything was stable.

But that all drastically changes when a new student arrives at Nora’s school. Wild rumors swirl about his past, and Nora becomes determined to find out the truth.

As she gets to know the mysterious student, he shares with her an ancient secret... one that may yet put both of them in grave danger.

And for the first time in her life, Nora is exposed to a completely unfamiliar world. She is swept away on an exhilarating journey that takes her to a place where romance and great destiny may yet await... and where supernatural powers run wild.

Book Excerpt:

Hunter cut off with a strangled sound, and in an instant, he was at the door. “They’re coming,” he hissed over his shoulder.

“What? Already? You said we’d have until nightfall!”

“I was wrong.” He shut the door quickly and rushed to the opposite wall. “You need to hide.” He pulled back a board to reveal a small cubby in the wall. “Quickly!”

Nora ran without arguing.

“Get in,” he told her, “and don’t make a sound.” Nora nodded. Her pulse raced, and a jolt of adrenaline kicked through her. A mixture of fear and dread came over her as she pushed herself into the wall. There wasn’t much space, and splinters and rough pieces of wood pierced her skin and got caught on her clothing. She wedged herself farther in. Hunter replaced the board.

Light scattered in from cracks along the wall. Nora pressed an eye to one of them. She could see the entire space between her and the entrance door. Hunter stood facing the door with his back to her. His feet were wide in a predatory stance.

Anxious minutes passed. Only Nora’s ragged breaths broke the silence, and they sounded as loud as hammers to her ears.

Slowly, the door started to move. Hunter tensed.

It creaked all the way open, and a tall figure stepped into the entrance. Nora’s breath caught. It was the same man from the dream, the same one she saw at the school.

If it were possible, Hunter tensed even more. The man took a step forward. He wore the same long coat from before, the same dark hat. He and Hunter were approximately the same height. Leisurely, he started to take off his coat. Hunter still hadn’t moved.

The man dropped his coat in a pile at his side, and Nora saw that he was much thicker than Hunter. Bigger, more developed.

Stronger.

“Don’t try to hide her. I can smell her stench from here. I know she is with you.”

“You will not have her.” Hunter’s voice held a steely edge.

The man laughed. “Oh? Is that so? And you think you’re going to stop me?” He laughed again. “You have broken the ancient creed by bringing her into our world. You will answer for your crime. As will she.”

“You will not have her,” Hunter repeated, his voice filled with a deathly calm.

The man waved dismissively and took a step toward Hunter. “You cannot stop me,” he said. “And I don’t intend to take only her. You’ll be coming along, as well.”

“No,” Hunter growled.

“Oh, yes, I will take you both.” The man stood only a pace away from Hunter, now. “You cannot imagine what they will do to you. You will be bound in chains, locked away to never again see the dark of night or feel the cool rays of the moon. You will grow weak and feeble, forever barred from taking blood. You will never feed again.

“Your body will go first. Your muscles will wither to nothingness. Your bones will crumble. You will become a shadow of what you once were. A shadow of what you could have been.
“But they will keep your mind sharp. Make no mistake, you will know you are suffering. An antidote will be administered, and it will stave off the madness that accompanies your deprivation. You will languish in misery, forever conscious of your mistake. That will be your sentence. To suffer, until the end of time.”

The man took one last step, until he was nose-to-nose with Hunter. And he spoke just loudly enough for Nora to hear. “But that pales in comparison to what they will do to her.”

Hunter snarled.

“Yes, her. Your precious human.” He spat the word. Then he raised his voice. “I know you are here, little one. Listen well to what I have to say.”

He returned his attention to Hunter. “She will suffer for your sin. A human mind and body is much weaker than that of our kind, and for that reason…she will be converted. And sentenced to suffer eternally alongside you.

“You know of the savage bloodlust that overtakes a new member of our race, do you not? Oh, but I think you do. You were once one of them, were you not? You were born a human.” Again, he spat the word. “A despicable thing. A despicable creature to risk so much for, wouldn’t you say?”

Hunter didn’t say a word, and the man continued. “I will give you one chance. One chance now, to repent. Give her up freely, and the punishment for your treason will be less severe. You will be bound for one century, before your freedom is returned.” He put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “You know you cannot win. Is she worth an eternity in hell?”

Nora caught a furtive movement at the door. The other hunter. “No!” she screamed. It was a trap.

On Nora’s cry, both newcomers looked in her direction. Hunter curled back from the man’s hand and smashed an elbow into his face. The thick man stumbled back.

Then he laughed cruelly and flung himself at Hunter.

Author Bio:

I've been writing stories for as long as I can remember. Actually, that's a bit of a lie. I've been writing since the third grade, when a wonderful teacher asked everyone in class to write a fairy tale, and ended up picking mine as his favorite. He didn't tell the other kids, of course - but confided it in my parents. He said I have a natural knack for writing (his exact words! and I remember them to this day), and should never stop. So, I've kept going..

I've mostly been keeping it to myself, though. I've never really thought about becoming an "author," or a "writer" (quotations because those goals are still so far away!), so never had the need to share with anyone or publicize my stories. But, I'm just finishing up my second year in college, and have really started to think about careers and life goals and such other mysterious things. And while my friends were all busy trying to get internships for the summer this year, I just kept to myself with my writing hobby. I don't have an interest in going out and working professionally in the "real world" -- I want to keep writing forever, and I want to have time to do it. The only way I see myself having that time, though, is by becoming a published author.

So there you have it. That's the abbreviated history of one Sophia Sharp. I've been working on a few young adult paranormal/fantasy novels for the past few months, and I'm putting them all up as soon as they're done! Why young adult? Because it's what I love to read. And why paranormal/fantasy? Because that genre gives the greatest opportunities for creating a magical, romantic, quixotic world that I can fall in love with.

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.

The story that Alexandra Adornetto built in her New York Times-bestselling debut, Halo, comes alive in action-packed and unexpected ways, as angels battle demons, and the power of love is put to the test.

Charlotte smiled from across the room at the man's obvious devotion to her friend. Such attachment was very charming, undoubtedly, and when it came to an end, as it was most certain to do, they would have abundant good fortune to keep the inevitable aggravations with each other to a minimum. Both a Christmas celebration and conclusion to Tales of Less Pride & Prejudice, Holidays at Pemberley begins where First Impressions ends, with the marriage Fitzwilliam Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet, and spans the course of Second Glances to conclude their story.

As the Darcys enjoy their first years of marriage, Charlotte Lucas is often invited to join them. Watching as the Bennet sisters, one by one, marry to both outrageous advantage and with great affection, her only ambition remains independence and respectability, stubbornly blind to the virtues of a love match. Miss Lucas thinks she has found an acceptable husband in David Westover, rector of Kympton and determined bachelor, but he remains oblivious to the implications of befriending a Miss Lucas. It may mean some heartbreak, but if Mrs. Darcy's pragmatic friend will only surrender to Cupid, she may find wild fantasies do come true, even for ladies dangerously close to thirty.

Series:
First Impressions
Second Glances
Third Encounters (Holidays at Pemberley)

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details):Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire.